Southern Weekly

6 results arranged by date

Three days into his retirement, Zeng Li (曾礼) died yesterday at
age 61, apparently of intestinal bleeding. Surprisingly, his March 28 farewell
letter has spread across China's social media
sites and blogs. The letter is an apology, an explanation of sorts, and an admission
of regret regarding the latter
part of his career. Zeng served in Southern
Weekly's internal censorship program--his title there most likely translates
best as "news examiner."

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1. Beyond censors' reach, free expression thrives, to a point

By Sophie Beach

On March 24, 2012, investigative journalist Yang Haipeng posted on his Sina Weibo microblog a story he had heard that alleged a link between Neil Heywood, an English businessman who had been found dead in a Chongqing hotel, and Bo Xilai, the powerful Chongqing Communist Party chief. His post is widely recognized as the first significant public mention of a connection between the two men and it spread like wildfire online before being deleted the next day. A month later, Yang’s Sina Weibo account, which had 247,000 followers, was shut down.

There is cautious optimism among China media watchers this morning over the news
that a deal has been struck between censors and protesting
journalists at China's Southern Weekly
news magazine, which is also known as Southern
Weekend. The journalists will not face reprisals for their protest, and
propaganda authorities will not repeat the editing stunt (which transformed a
pro-reform New Year editorial into a tribute to the Communist Party) that sparked
the dispute, according to The Associated Press.

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In the past few days, Chinese journalists and their
supporters have launched startlingly direct opposition to Communist Party rule,
protesting a heavy-handed move by Guangdong's provincial propaganda department
to unilaterally replace
a SouthernWeekly editorial on constitutionalism with pro-Party bromides. Defying
censors' directives, media organizations around the country continue to post
messages of support of Southern Weekly
reporters who have gone on strike and called for the dismissal of provincial
propaganda chief Tuo Zhen. It is the 21st century equivalent of carrying placards
through Tiananmen Square.

Staffers at the Guangdong-based Southern Weekly magazine have publicly expressed their outrage
at the heavy handed intervention of propaganda officials who unilaterally rewrote
a New Year's editorial calling for improved constitutional rule in China. A
piece extolling the virtues of the Communist Party ran in its place. Sixty
staffers posted an open letter to the provincial government accusing propaganda
officials of "raping" the paper's editorial procedures, The
Associated Press reports. Apparently, the editorial was changed by censors after
the magazine had closed and was being readied for the printer. Staff did not
know of the changes until the piece appeared in print and online.

The last few weeks have offered the strongest indications
yet that nation-states are using customized software to exploit security flaws
on personal computers and consumer Internet services to spy on their users. The
countries suspected include the United States, Israel, and China. Journalists
should pay attention--not only because this is a growing story, but because if
anyone is a vulnerable target, it's reporters.